Water gas production



March 6, 1934. w. v. DUKE WATER GAS PRODUCTION Filed Nov. 9, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNyENToR WILLIAM V. DUKE W. V. DUKE WATER GAS PRODUCTION March 6, 1934.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 9, 1928 INVENTOR WILLIAM V. DUKE Patented Mer. 6, 1934 Y 1,949,563

AHMT-ED STATES PATENT OFFICE WATER GAS PRODUCTION William Vaughn Duke, Germantown, Pa., as-

signor to Carsten I. J ohnsen, Floral Park, N. Y.

.Application November 9, 1928, Serial No. 318,241 3 claims. `(C1. l11a-206)A 'I'his invention relates to water gas generation, furnace design. 'I'he details of construction are that is, to a method of manufacturing water gas, not a part of this invention. either carbureted or not, and to a water gas gen- A number of tubes 14, triangular in crosse'rator having, if desired, a carburetor associated section, extend from the partition 15 between the with it. It involves also a superheating of the combustion chamber and the water gas generat- 60 product. The objects of the invention are (1) ing Chamber through the partitions i6 and 1'7, to provide a method of continuous water gas which separate the Carburetng Chamber 12 remanufacture anda water gas generator that is spectively from the generating chamber 11 and capable of continuous operation; (2) to effect an the superheating chamber 13, and thence to the 19 economy in the consumption of fuel, in the inn end Wall 18 of the superheatiiig ehaiiibel- The 65 stallation cost of the generator and in the cost back wall 19 of the whole structure andthe end of operation; (3) to simplify the construction of wall 18 of the superheatiiig Chamber fOiIii t0- the generator; (4) to reduce the size of the gengether a header to Which the tubes deliver and erator without loss of productive capacity; (5) to from which a duet 20 leads to a Stack 0r t0 any provide an automatic generator; (6) to eliminate Other deViCe fOi utilizing 0i fOr diSDOSiIig 0f the 70 certain operating conditions which are destrucremaining heat 0f the COIiibuStiOii gaSeS- A dOOi tive of the materials of which the generator is 21 is Provided at the bottom 0f this header fer built; 7) to provide a water ges generator in the removal o f any ash or other Solid matter which pulverized coal may be uscd effectively as deposlted Wlthm the headera fuel; (8) to improve a water gas generator in Each 0f the tubee 14 has aiiged ends 22, those 75 point of simplicity of construction and of eiat each end abuttmg one another so that one ciency of operation, and (9) to provide a methodI end cf the group or ,Steck may be received in n openmg in thepartltion wall 15 and the other of carburcting Water gas and of superhating. it end in a similar-opening in the partition 18 The 26 lic; i133 gggdglgygrc'georucmon m Whlch joints between the several tubes and between the The method and two modifications of an ap- .group-0f tubes; and th-e parutions may be Sealed' paratus embodying the invention are described greglsllgljnlgs cllmrgssrg llag helelhaf ard are luustratcd m the accom' tained suiciently near to equality to prevent 30 panfioilil drgg; undesirable ow of gais from one chamber to another. The flanges conform in shape to the Figure 1 1s a vertlcal sectlonal view through a tubes but being of larger Size they. abut each Weber gas generator constructed in accordance other on lall sides and therefore present to the Wlii'ah thi; hYehhfhf t l t combustion chamber what is, in effect, an aperthellgillle 2 i if ggrhsa Sloegbmtcnr; tured wall. Similarly, there need be no sealed 90 in which the heatngg. tubes ara aranged joints between the tubes and the intermediate g partitions 16 and 17. The snug fit obtained by Figure 3 1S e' fregmental VleW namely m lon building the refractory material of these Walls gitudihel Section through the group of tubes with apertures just large enough to receive the 40 ShOYVii iii Figure 2 tubes is suicient. 95

Figure 4 1S er VleW, 1h Seetloh 1h a Vermeer The tubes are stacked so as to occupy the relaplaiie, 0f aihedied Combusheh ehambertive positions shown in Figure 2, thus forming Figure 5 iS a fragmental view, 1n Vertieai Seehorizontal passages and a number of diagonal intion 0n the liiie 5 5 0f Figure 4, Showing the tersecting passages between them. A satisfactory arrangement 0f SeCOiideTy au' miei" Dasseges-m material of which to make the tubes is carborun- 100 lirig rnodled Combustion Chamber ShOWIi 1h F 1g'- dum. The use of other refractory materials is i possible. .The generator Shown here has a Combustion On the top of the combustion chamber is a chamber 1Q, a Water gas generating Chamber 11, fuel feeder of a well known marketed type dea carburetiiig Chamber 12- arid a Superheating signed to deliver a combustible mixture of air and 105 chamber 13, all formed Wlthln a Single Struepulverized coal or similar fuel under pressure ture.. f l to the combustion chamber. The coal is intro- Thls Structure 1S built 0f fire brick 01' other duced to the feeder from the duct 23 and Drirefractory material and, in its structural details, mary air under pressure is led in by the duct 55 may conform to any usual or desirable practice in 24, this primary air being used to force the pul` 110 verized coal into the combustion chamber. Additional air for the mixture is drawn in through the port 25 by the stream of primary air and coal. At the bottom of the combustion chamber is a door 26 giving access to the chamber for removal of the heavier products of combustion which fall to the floor of the chamber.

When ignited, the combustible mixture delivered under pressure burns Within the combustion chamber and produces a body of highly heated gases of combustion which enters thetubes 14 and passes through them to the header between the end walls 18 and 19 and thence to the duct 20. In passing, these gases lose heat to the walls of the tubes and thus there is provided in the producer, carbureting and superheating chambers a number of spaced bodies, heated to a high degree and capable of heating any bodies which come in contact with them.

Above the gas generating chamber is a device for delivering steam and pulverized coal, intimately mixed and under pressure, past the tubes, i. e., the region through which the tubes pass and into contact with the tubes. This device consists of a screw conveyor 27 for delivering pulverized coal from a hopper 28 to a down duct 29 and a nozzle 30 which is connected to a source of steam and which delivers to the center of the down duct 29 at about the point where the pulverized coal is fed in.

Just below this point is a nozzle 34 through which water gas under pressure is delivered. The Water gas forms the motive jet, aided, it may be, by the steam jet, and forces the mixture of coal and steam against and between 4the tubes in the top layer. The construction of such a pressure feeder is known but, as will be described more fully hereinafter, the use of water gas to deliver the coal or other carbonaceous product is an important part of this invention.

The pressure of the delivery causes the mixture of coal and steam to pass in a bafed course between the tubes in direct contact with the heated walls hereof or in such close proximity thereto that the particles of coal and steam receive the heat of the tubes. The usual chemical reaction of carbon and water, when heated to the proper temperature, takes place and the water gas generated thereby is forced to the bottom of the generating chamber.

An opening 31 in the partition 16 permits the Water gas to pass into the lower region of the carbureting chamber 12 from which it is forced, by the pressure behind it, upward in a baied course between the tubes to the top of the carbureting chamber. An opening 32 in the partition 17 leads the carbureted gas, the product of the carbureting chamber. to the superheating chamber 13 where they flow downward between the tubes 14 and pass through the outlet port 33 to a storage means or to other apparatus for further treatment.

The carburetion is eiected by a spray of liquid hydrocarbon delivered in a downward direction at the upper part of the carbureting chamber by a nozzle 54. The force of the spray is sufficient to cause the oil to pass downward between the tubes counter current to the water gas flowing from the gas generating chamber. The gas and the oil are thus intermixed thoroughly by their interfering baiiled ows and, since this mixing occurs in contact with the heated tubes and in the region heated by the tubes, the water gas is well carbureted.

The carbureted gas in passing through the vgenerating chamber.

chamber 13 is heated to a higher temperature which improves the carburetion and generally lfixes the conditions created in the gas generating and carbureting chambers.

A valved inlet duct 35 is provided to introduce air into the gas generating chamber to burn out the carbon deposit which in time accumulates gas generating-operation the duct 35 is closed.

The combustion chamber may be built in two parts, in one of which only the primary air is consumed to give principally carbon monoxide while in the second part additional air is supplied to give the dioxide of carbon. Such a chamber is shown in Figure 4. The fuel is delivered under pressure to the rst part 40 of the chamber, between the front wall and the mid partition 41, by the primary air supplied by the duct 24' leading to the feeder 42. The partition 4l dividing the chamber into two parts is hollow, being made up of two spaced walls 43, 44. The secondary air is supplied by the duct 45 to the interior space between the walls 43, 44 and is delivered to the second part 46 of the combustion chamber by the entraining action of the carbon monoxide gas flowing from the first part to the second part.

For this purpose a number of short tubes 47 extend through both walls 43, 44 of the partition 41, being supported by the Wall 43 on the side toward the first part of the combustion chamber. Each tube 47 is spaced from the surrounding portion of the other wall 44 leaving an annular flow passage 50 connecting the interior of the partition and the second part of the combustion chamber. The corners of the space 50 between each During the normal water' tube and the surrounding part of the wall 44 are blocked. by fillers 48 to constrict the flow passage over a portion of its length thus increasing the entraining action at the mouth of the tube. An additional passage 49 connects the two parts of the combustion chamber and permits the removal of solid matter from the second part as well as from the iirst. The hot gas produced by the combustion passes through the fiues 14 just as in the modication shown in Figure 1.

Considering the manner of generating the water gas, and of carbureting and superheating it, apart from any particular structure by which the gas is made and treated, it will be evident that a new method is involved. The essential elements of the method are that a flow of heated gas is effected on lone side of, or, more specifically, inside of, each of a number of heat conducting bodies while a iiow of a carbonaceous product and water is effected on the other side of each of the same bodies so that the heat of the gas is transferred to the carbon and the water and the water gas reaction is brought about. The word water is used herein in a generic sense to cover the liquid or vapor form of the substance which provides the hydrogen and oxygen for the water gas reaction. While the vapor form or steam is preferred, it is possible to use the liquid form.

In the customary practice a refractory material is first heated and then, after the application of heat is discontinued, the carbonaceous product and the water are brought in contact with the refractory material untily all of the heat is given up.

` In contradistinction to this practice, the presburetion is effected by leading the water gas back over another portion of the body being heated by the flow of hot gas. So also with the s uperheatcoal and the steam as aspray and under suiiicient.

In addition to the greater economy and convenience inherent in a continuous process, there are afforded by this invention, and particularly by the preferred form disclosed here, marked advantages in the low cost of installation, operation and maintenance. The design is simple and 'requires for the most part only standard equipment readily ob-tained in the market and structure easily built. Powdered coal is used both as fuel in the combustion chamber and as the carbonaceous product for the water gas reaction eifected in the generating chamber. Such coal is consumed efficiently for both purposes in the' present construction so that a maximum of available energy is utilized. Once the process is begun, there need be no interruption for a considerable time. The delivery of the various feedersA and the supply of air may bel predetermined and the apparatus set accordingly, after which little attention is necessary. When, intime, a deposit does form on the 'tubes it is not necessary to scrape them or to employ mechanical methods of removal which endanger the material of the tubes, but instead, coal is burned inthe generating chamber to remove the deposit. i Y

A particularly useful feature is the utilization of water gas to introduce the coal into the gener..- at-ing chamber. It is important to introduce the pressure to carry them .past the tubes to the bottom of the chamber. If it is attempted to use the steam or to use air to introducethe coal, a diculty is encountered in'obtaining the proper proportions of the ingredients for the water gasr reaction. Byusing water gas, that difficulty is avoided. I therefore regard this as an important part-of the invention.

Other merits and utilities of the invention will be apparent to those using it or interested in the art in which it may be used and it is deemed unnecessary to mention all of them here. Variations from the disclosed embodiment, either as a result of ordinary skill vor of further invention,

are possible within the fair scope of this invention. Therefore, with the intention of protecting all of the features of the apparatus and process, the invention is deiined in its substantial scope in the following claims.

I claim:

1. The method of manufacturing water gas which comprises the continuous internal'heating of a number of spaced hollow bodies and utilizing the entraining action of a' current of water gas to carry pulverized coal and steam in proper proportions to form water vgas between said bodies and in Contact therewith.

2. The method of manufacturing water gas which comprises the continuous internal heating of a number of spaced hollow bodies, entraining ter gas between portions of said bodies and in contact therewith by a carrying current of water gas passing the newly formed gas and carrying gas current past other portions of `said hollow bodies and carburetting said gas with an enriching hydrocarbon gas in the region of said other portions o f said hollow bodies.

WILLIAM VAUGHN DUKE.-

v'uns 

